Acts 28:21

Acts 28:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.
• New International Version (NIV)They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they said to him, "We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you.

Context of Acts 28:21

19But the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem did not agree with that. So then I asked the Roman rulers to send me here to Rome. I wanted Caesar himself to judge me. That was the only thing that I could do. I did not want to say anything bad against my own people. 20That is why I want to talk with you now. I want to tell you why I am a prisoner here. It is because I believe in the one that God promised to send to us who are Jews.’ The Jewish leaders said to Paul, ‘We have not received any letters about you from Judea. Our Jewish friends who have come here from Judea have not told us this news. They have not said anything bad about you. 22But we know that people everywhere are saying bad things about your new group. So we would like you to tell us your ideas.’ 23So the Jewish leaders in Rome chose a day to meet again with Paul. When that day arrived, a large number of Jews came to the house where Paul was staying. Paul talked to them from the morning until the evening. He explained his message about the kingdom of God. He showed them what Moses and the other prophets had written in the Bible. He tried to show them that Jesus was God's special Messiah.

Acts 28:21 word by word

οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπαν· ἡμεῖς οὔτε γράμματα περὶ σοῦ ἐδεξάμεθα ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, οὔτε παραγενόμενός τις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀπήγγειλεν ἢ ἐλάλησέν τι περὶ σοῦ πονηρόν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• neitherοὔτεoute · neitherG3777
• receivedδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• lettersγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
• outἀπόapo · away fromG575
• of JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
• concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• anyτιςtis · oneG5100
• of the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• that cameπαραγίνομαιparaginomai · to comeG3854
• shewedἀπαγγέλλωapaggellō · to announceG518
• orἤē · orG2228
• spakeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• harmπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190

Cross-references for Acts 28:21

• Exodus 11:7But no trouble will happen to the Israelite people. Not even a dog will frighten them or their animals. Then you will know that I, the Lord, make a difference between Egypt and Israel.” ’
• Isaiah 41:11Listen to this! Everyone who has been angry with you will now become completely ashamed. Those who have attacked you will disappear and die.
• Isaiah 50:8God is the one who says that I am right, and he stands beside me. So who will accuse me that I have done something wrong? We should meet in court! Anyone who accuses me should come and speak!
• Isaiah 54:17But nobody can make a weapon that will beat you, when your enemies attack you. If people accuse you of bad things, you will show that they are wrong. That is what the Lord will do as a gift for his servants. Yes, I will show that they are right.’ That is what the Lord says.

Commentaries on Acts 28:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21We neither received letters, etc. - This is very strange, and shows us that the Jews knew their cause to be hopeless, and therefore did not send it forward to Rome. They wished for an opportunity to kill Paul: and, when they were frustrated by his appeal to the emperor, they permitted the business to drop. Calmet supposes they had not time to send; but this supposition does not appear to be sufficiently solid: they might have sent long before Paul sailed…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21We neither received letters … - Why the Jews in Judea had not forwarded the accusation against Paul to their brethren at Rome, that they might continue the prosecution before the emperor, is not known. It is probable that they regarded their cause as hopeless, and chose to abandon the prosecution. Paul had been acquitted successively by Lysias, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa; and as they had not succeeded in procuring his condemnation before them, they saw no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-22Verses 17-22 It was for the honour of Paul that those who examined his case, acquitted him. In his appeal he sought not to accuse his nation, but only to clear himself. True Christianity settles what is of common concern to all mankind, and is not built upon narrow opinions and private interests. It aims at no worldly benefit or advantage, but all its gains are spiritual and eternal. It is, and always has been, the lot of Christ's holy religion, to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22The Jewish leaders assured Paul that they had received no reports against him, and they wanted to hear his explanation of this movement.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2221-22. We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, &c.--We need not suppose (with Tholuck and others) that there was any dishonest concealment here. The distinction made between himself, against whom they heard nothing, and his "sect," as "everywhere spoken against," is a presumption in favor of their sincerity; and there is ground to think that as the case took an unexpected turn by Paul's appealing to Cæsar, so no information on the…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 28:21

• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Judea
• Judaea, or Judea
• Judea, Judah
• Attain
• Compass
• Concern
• Confidence
• Constrain
• Escape
• Foreship

Commentaries on Acts 28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings